Elder: Make education priority

Shawn Atleo, Assembly of First Nations national chief, and regional chief Morley Googoo speak to young people in Membertou on Wednesday morning prior to an address to Mi’kmaq chiefs, band councils and Grand Council members. (MARY ELLEN MacINTYRE / Cape Breton Bureau)

MEMBERTOU — A Mi’kmaq elder says First Nations leaders can speak of nationhood, treaties, rights and economics but it will be in vain if they don’t first consider education.

"The educational system has to be reflective of who I am as a Mi’kmaq," Albert Marshall said Wednesday.

"There are 4,000 people living in Eskasoni, where I am from, and only four per cent are speaking the language. And there are so many social problems because people don’t know who they are."

Marshall made the comments while speaking to a gathering of Mi’kmaq chiefs, band councillors and Grand Council members who were attending the fourth annual Nationhood Conference at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.

Marshall asked Assembly of First Nations national chief Shawn Atleo to ensure native communities emphasize and embrace a native education system that will emphasize language.

"We poured our heart out in the documents (treaties) and then they were translated into English and manipulated into something else," he said.

Marshall warned those who attended the conference that while past generations were robbed of their language and culture by Canada’s residential school system, where native children were forced to speak only English, future generations will have someone else to blame.

"This generation will blame us if they don’t learn their language," he said.

Atleo listened intently while Marshall made his plea for a Mi’kmaq-based education system.

"When we speak about education, . . . we’re coming at it from the perspective of First Nation control and of First Nation education," Atleo responded.

While the Mi’kmaq education system is seen as a leader among First Nations, more has to be done, Atleo said.

During his talk to the gathering, Atleo recalled that his first teacher and principal was his own father and his mother was a substitute teacher in the very same British Columbia school.

"Then I had to go home and have supper with them," he said, laughing.

As national chief, Atleo emphasized his whole raison d’etre is to promote the issues that are near and dear to the heart of native leaders.

"Our work is to support and advocate for you and our role is to help open doors," he said.

With the federal government about to release its budget today, Atleo said he has warned the government not to make any cuts on the backs of First Nations people.